Pope Francis remembered St. Stephen, the first martyr whose day is celebrated on 26 December, there are many people today who are persecuted for the Gospel.
From the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the Pontiff recalled this saint, patron of deacons, who while being stoned “prayed for his murderers.”
In this context, he said that the martyr faced his death “as a truly free man”, loving even his murderers and offering his life for them, “like Jesus on the cross”, so that “they may repent and, having been forgiven, may have the gift of eternal life”.
In this way, “Deacon Stephen presents himself to us as a witness of that God who has only one great desire: that all be saved and that no one be lost,” he continued.
For Pope Francis, St. Stephen is also “a witness to the Father who wants the good and only the good for each of his children, always; who excludes no one, who never tires of seeking them out and welcoming them when, after having distanced themselves, they return repentant to Him.”
He then stressed that “God forgives everything, and always forgives,” and lamented that “even today in various parts of the world there are many men and women who are persecuted, sometimes to the point of death, because of the Gospel.”
“They do not allow themselves to be killed out of weakness, nor to defend an ideology, but to make everyone share in the gift of salvation they have received from the Lord Jesus Christ,” said the Holy Father.
He also explained that they do it “for the good of their murderers, who are more in need of forgiveness and redemption than others.”